


Love and the Arcane

by flowersandmurders



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, based on requests i got on tumblr, just a bunch of fun short drabbles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-04-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 00:15:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23675986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flowersandmurders/pseuds/flowersandmurders
Summary: a collection of drabbles involving various ships from the Arcana, imported from my tumblrsmall disclaimer as these were written in 2017, before the game was finished/i finished playing the game so some things may not be super accurate, but all things are good and romantic and fun
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana), Apprentice/Julian Devorak, Apprentice/Lucio (The Arcana), Apprentice/Nadia (The Arcana), Asra/Julian Devorak
Comments: 1
Kudos: 30





	1. asra/apprentice - "i'm in love with you"

“I love you. I’m in love with you.”

He isn’t sure he hears you right at first. In fact, he’s certain he’s heard you wrong. If he’d heard you right…

He feels his hands begin to shake, violet eyes staring at you with such intensity that you couldn’t look away if you wanted to. He’s searching for any sign, any way that this could hurt you. Looking for the way your face contorts when the headaches come back, looking for even the slightest bit of hesitation. A bright, warm feeling explodes through his chest as he finds none.

“I love you, too,” Asra says, hands still shaking as he runs them through your hair, down your back, over your shoulders, then back to your hair. He can’t seem to stop touching you as he speaks, desperate to be certain this isn’t all a dream.

“You have no idea how much, I…” He pauses, pressing a gentle kiss to your lips, hands steadying themselves on your shoulders. “I would do anything for you, everything- I’d - Seeing you hurt, seeing you in pain, I can’t tell you how much that hurt me, how badly I want to keep you safe, I promise I’ll always keep you safe, for as long as you’ll have me-”

Words seem to fail him as he kisses you again. This time, he holds nothing back.


	2. nadia/apprentice - slow dancing in the dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> based on the prompt: "We were dancing but all of a sudden it’s a slow song and we’re standing here awkwardly staring at each other"

The air is charged with magic. She’s holding you in her arms, one hand on yours, the other on your waist. You’d mentioned being nervous about the upcoming masquerade, less than confident about your dancing skills. Nadia had offered to help you practice- and how were you to say no? 

A small enchantment and an expensive looking object had music playing softly in the background. One song faded to another, this one slower, more… intimate. Nadia looks at you from under her lashes, pulling you closer as your steps slow. 

“Are you a fan of music such as this?” she asks, placing your other hand on her shoulder so that both of her hands can rest on your waist, guiding you as you swayed back and forth. 

“I think… I am a fan of any kind of music, so long as I am dancing to it with you,” you reply, color in your cheeks as you make the bold statement. 

Nadia freezes, looking at you in surprise as the music continues in the background. A smile blooms on her luscious lips. A warm feeling spreads through you at the sight. 

“You flatter me,” she says, thumb rubbing your waist as she speaks. “Though… I would be remiss if I did not admit that I feel the same.”

By now, you’ve both stopped moving, simply standing in one another’s arms. You pull her closer, arms looping around her shoulders. There’s almost no space between you. Your heart is racing, and you’re glad that your now sweaty hand is not in hers. 

“I feel I have been quite daring this evening,” you say, voice just above a whisper. “But… unless you protest, m’la- _Nadia_. I’d like to be daring once more.”

“I think I can allow that.” There’s a smile on her face and a light in her eyes and it’s all making you weak in the knees. 

You lean in slowly, lips barely brushing against hers. You rest your forehead on hers, shy smile on your face. The moment doesn’t last long, as soon she’s pulling you closer, lips moving against yours with a gentle fervor. You sigh, melting into her touch. 

She pulls away a moment later, leaving you grateful for a chance to breathe and yearning for more. 

“Stay here tonight,” she says, the words between a command and a question. There is no hesitation in your nod, warm feeling spreading from your head to your toes. 

Her lips find yours again, and you’ve never tasted anything so sweet. 


	3. mercenary!lucio/mc - "you seem to have forgotten how to listen"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "We slept in the same bed for space reasons but now we’re just waking up and there’s something about your bleary eyes and mussed hair…"

He’s staring at you when you wake up. You aren’t sure why- after a long day of travel yesterday and a fitful night of rest on the small bed you two were forced to share, you can’t look great. You can feel your hair sticking up at all angles, and you’re fairly certain you were drooling at some point. You assume he’s going to make fun of you- tease you in that way he does, the way that makes you roll your eyes and tease him back. 

He looks gorgeous, of course. Even with his hair falling in his face and his face drooped with sleep. It was unfair really. He wakes up, looking like that, while you…

You reach your hand up to smooth back your hair. Lucio grabs your wrist, stopping the motion. 

“Don’t,” he whispers, voice rough with sleep. A shiver runs down your spine at the sound. You roll your eyes despite it. 

“I just woke up, Lucio,” you say, shifting onto your back to straighten your hair with your other hand. “I have to move at some-”

You are cut off as in a fluid motion, Lucio grabs your other wrist and flips on top of you, pinning your hands above your head. His hair falls past his shoulders catching the light in a way that should be illegal. 

“You seem to have forgotten how to _listen_ ,” he says, face getting dangerously close to your own. It’s getting hard not to squirm as he places more of his weight on your hips. His breath ghosts over your lips. 

“Remind me then,” you say, eyes locked on his. A wicked smirk crosses his face and then his lips meet yours. 


	4. julian/apprentice - A Place to Hide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "We’re hiding from the authorities and it’s very close quarters in here, I can feel your body against mine."

You barely made it away in time. This part of this city is unfamiliar to you, but thankfully Julian knows his way around it easily enough to pull you out of sight just in the nick of time. 

You both freeze, eyeing the alleyway and waiting for the guards to pass. A breath of relief passes your lips, leaving a grin in it’s wake. You’re safe!

You turn your attention to Julian, the smile on your face faltering as you realize just how… close the two of you are. You can see every detail of his face, count every eyelash. Watch as redness stains his pale skin, gaze dodging yours. Feel the heat radiating off of each other’s bodies as your heartbeats don’t seem to be slowing at the rate they should. 

“Er, I’m- I don’t usually have company when I’m hiding from the guards like this,” Julian says. “So I’m not sure this is quite enough space for two people…”

Your hand finds his, squeezing it gently. The color in his face deepens. 

“I don’t mind,” you say, keeping hold of his hand. He brings your hand to his lips, kissing it softly. A thrill rushes through you at the gesture.

“Neither do I.” 

What little space there is between you seems charged with electricity. You’re acutely aware of his lips and how close they are to yours. You bite your lip. Slowly, your eyes raise to meet his, and in his gaze you find a desire that mirrors your own. 

The next thing you know, your lips are on his. Your arms wind around his neck, pulling him as close as you can as your kiss becomes more passionate. You bite down on his lip, eliciting a moan from Julian.

You press him against the wall, delighting as he gives no resistance, giving in to your touch as your tongues slide into each other’s mouths. 

You may have entered this hiding spot quickly, but you certainly won’t be leaving it any time soon.


	5. asra/apprentice - Morning Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> prompt: "The type of goodbye kiss when you keep leaving quick pecks on each other’s lips, but end up pulling each other back for more, which could go on for hours if one of you don’t finally pull away."

The early morning light filters through the window, giving Asra an angelic glow as he moves about, collecting items from the mess of his bedroom. 

“Do you have to go _now_?” you ask, pouting at him as you sit on the bed. You know he does. The plague has gotten worse and worse. Asra has been asked to help, and by some miracle he’s agreed- despite the Count’s feelings towards magicians. However, you don’t see why Asra can’t put off departure for just a _bit_ longer. 

“Yes,” Asra says, smiling at you fondly. “I don’t want to be late my first day. Something tells me the Countess would frown upon that. But I won’t be long.”

“You will,” you insist. Your pout is still in place as he walks over to you, soft light in his violet eyes. 

“Would you like something to make the time feel shorter?” he asks, brushing a stray hair out of your face. You nod, pout changing to a grin as he leans in for a quick kiss. 

It’s clear he means for the action to be brief- his lips barely pressing against yours before he starts to move away- but you aren’t letting that happen. 

A gentle tug to his vest brings his lips back to yours. He chuckles against your lips, arms wrapping around you as you fall back onto the mattress, lips moving slowly against each other. Your hands find his hair quickly, fingers combing through his soft curls with delight as the kiss continues. 

He pulls away after a moment, kissing your cheek and down your jaw. A contented sigh pushes past your lips. 

“I need to go,” Asra whispers, nose against yours and eyes bright. His breath is warm on your face and his lips are so close… You sigh hands leaving his hair as you steal one more kiss. 

“Hurry back,” you say, eyes tracing his features. He doesn’t move. He bites his lip, rubbing his nose against yours while he stares. 

“I will,” he murmurs. “After… one more kiss.”

His lips meet yours once more, your hands move to his hair again. Neither of you are going anywhere. 

Asra was late to the palace that day. The Countess did in fact frown upon that. But as he replayed memories of the morning, Asra couldn’t find it in him to care. 


	6. asra/apprentice, julian/apprentice - "when they loved me"

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a drabble about asra and when you choose julian

Asra thought he’d known pain when you’d forgotten him. When he’d held you in his arms, tears streaming down his face as chaos unfolded around you. When you woke later with blurry thoughts and aches that threatened to break your mind.

He’d thought pain had been when he’d tried to help you remember and you fell limp in his arms. When panic had gripped his heart, tightening his chest as he stopped you from crashing to the ground. When he’d held you close, hands shaking as he feared he’d gone too far, pushed too hard and lost you forever. When his heart had stopped at the thought of that.

He’d thought pain had been having to leave so often. When the headaches came too frequently and he’d known the memories were too close to coming back. He’d thought pain had been when that sadness appeared in your eyes, your gaze turned away as he walked out the door- that pain was leaving his heart with you when he left.

He was wrong.

Pain was watching you go to him. Pain was seeing the light in both of your eyes, seeing you embrace each other, lips meeting and a joy shining on both of your faces. The kind of joy he couldn’t give to either of you.

Pain was missing you with every ounce of his being, every corner of his heart, and smiling as you held Julian’s hand and glowed like the sun, oblivious to the fact that he was even there. Pain was forcing a smile, because he loves you so much and nothing could make him want to take that happiness away from you.

Pain was watching the two of you disappear, all love and happiness, giddy at the prospect of a future, while he turned away, coming to terms with the fact that once more, he would be all alone.


	7. asra/julian - This Will Hurt You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> no prompt, just a drabble about one of my fave dysfunctional duos

“This will hurt you,” Asra said, taking a step forward. His violet gaze was unwavering- staring at the blushing mess of a Doctor as he backed into the wall. He was falling apart as Asra grew nearer. Despite what he was projecting, Asra wasn’t his steadiest either.

“I know,” Julian said, swallowing hard. He did. He knew that Asra wasn’t one for commitment or stability, things Julian craved. He knew that this would never be more than a fling to the magician. But with those eyes on him, and that white hair shining in the moonlight, he couldn’t bring himself to care.

“I can’t give you what you need,” Asra continued, leaning closer as he spoke. He was curious- curious if Julian really knew what he was getting into, if he knew that while he danced around Asra’s thoughts, he still wouldn’t stay. He wouldn’t give in unless he did.

“I know,” repeated Julian. His hands tugged at Asra’s shirt, pulling him closer, anxious for his next move. In Julian’s opinion, Asra’s lips could be better occupied.

“Is this still what you want?”

Silence hangs in the air a moment, the only sound their breathing. The answer is so obvious, it didn’t even need to be said.

“Just kiss me, Magician.”

Julian whimpers as their lips meet, Asra holding nothing back as he complies to the Doctor’s request.

 _This will hurt you_. The words Asra had spoken moments ago flit through Julian’s mind. He brushes them off when Asra bites his lower lip. He knew it would. But if it was Asra, then Julian couldn’t help thinking that he wouldn’t mind the pain.


End file.
